Hank Friedman's Review of Janus 4.1 from The Mountain Astrologer

Janus 4.1 was released in 2008, and runs on Windows PCs and on Intel-based Macintosh computers running Windows. I last reviewed Janus 3.0 in February 2002 in the Mercury Direct section of The Mountain Astrologer. The new update is greatly enhanced, and now uses the Swiss Ephemeris for increased accuracy of calculations.

Since Janus conforms well to the Windows Graphical User Interface conventions, it is easy to open several different modules and arrange them on your screen to your preference. For example, you can resize and position one or more wheels on the screen and an astromap and a graphic ephemeris, viewing them all at the same time. Janus also remembers the size and placement of the windows for every module, so that the next time you open them, they will reappear just as they were.

Most of Janus' features have been improved, and there are several completely new ones. For example, added to version 4 is a Chart Search feature that enables users to find charts on file which have planets, angles, other points, or midpoints in specific signs, houses, aspects (to other points), midpoints, or formula, as well as search chart notes for keywords, with the ability to combine searches with AND & OR. E.g. Find charts with the Sun in Aries, and Ceres at the Moon/Mercury midpoint. You can also save search criteria to review or use again later.

You can now see two charts (or dials, or biwheels) side-by-side, and view biwheels (and bidials) with aspect lines between the planets in both rings, even during biwheel animation. Separating aspect lines can be shown as dashed lines (in order to distinguish them from applying aspect lines). Janus can also give emphasis to strong aspects by placing a box around the aspect glyph when the aspect is within 1 degree or a user-specified percentage of its orb. (Janus can also animate single wheels and dials with the same aspect line features.)

Perhaps the most profound enhancement in the new version occurs in the astromapping module. The maps are of much higher resolution than before, you can zoom in to a much greater degree, you can see map lines for aspects (and at the same time as midpoint lines), can animate the map with Cyclo*Carto*Graphy ® or other settings, show multiple Solar Eclipse paths, display Geodetic signatures, use astromapping techniques for rectification (by watching the map while the birth time is shifted forward or backwards), add cities, regions, and countries to maps, and easily reposition maps on the screen. The "planets" used to generate lines can include the standard planets, the four major asteroids and comet Chiron, six angles, the Trans-Neptunians, and twelve additional points (including the Part of Fortune, Moon's nodes, Black Moon, etc.)

For those who want their software to interpret astrological charts and maps, Janus 4.1 has several major and minor additions. Foremost is the incredibly extensive new astromapping report. It interprets a huge number of factors (all of which can be turned on or off) including planets on angles, aspects on angles, planetary midpoints on angles, stars on angles, local space lines, aspects to local space lines, midpoints to local space lines, stars to local space lines, planets in relocated houses, relocated angles, and three sets of Parans (planet + planet, planet + star, and star + star) and three sets of Destiny crossings (where Paran lines cross Astro*Carto*Graphy planet lines). This is an incredibly powerful and valuable feature!

There are added interpretations for midpoints in both natal and compatibility reports, and also synastry delineations for one person's planets in the other person's houses, as well interpretations of the interaction of the predominate mode and predominate element between both people's charts. In the transit module there are interpretations for transit-to-transit, progression and directed to natal, and transiting midpoints.

The predictive capabilities of Janus were furthered in this edition by the extra predictive searches for Supermoons, Transits to Directions & Progressions, and Declination events such as out-of-bounds and zero declination events, as well as Parallels and Contra-Parallels. You can now double-click on the date of any event in the transit list to immediately see a chart for that date and time. It is also possible to merge several different searches, and to select a specific aspect file for each transiting, progressed, and/or directed planet. This is a very useful capability!

There is also a new graphical depiction of predictive events called the Time Line. This shows all of the chosen events along a time axis. While it doesn't show the dates or times when events enter orb, reach exactness, or leave orb, its depiction of sign and house ingresses is well-done. (It also includes events that started before the search period but don't complete during the period.)

One can map Solar eclipses in a couple of ways, either one at a time, showing the Solar Eclipse path with both totality and degree of partial eclipse visibility shown, or one can choose to map multiple eclipses, in which case the paths of totality for up to the eight of the most recent Solar eclipses are shown on the map.

For those who regularly work with asteroids, version 4 has very powerful features. For 1000+ asteroids you can see their positions, velocity, and house placement, aspects and angular separations between them, midpoints and midpoint trees, and half sums and many formulae (to a specific asteroid or using the whole set).

It is very hard to find astrology software that calculates tables of houses (and such tables are hard to find online, too) but Janus does so very well. You can choose from 18 house systems and create a listing for a specific date or a table for any portion of (or a whole) day, for any range of latitudes, and for any year.

Another feature that will really come in handy on occasion is Calculate Chart Origin. Here you enter the Zodiacal position (degrees, minutes, seconds) of all of the planets and the Ascendant and MC, and select a date range, and Janus finds the date and time and place for the data entered. If you ever run across a chart without a date or birth place written on it, this module will prove very useful.

While looking at a single, bi-, tri- or quad-wheel, you can now see data listings to the right of the wheel display. The choices of data lists include house positions and planet positions (to the nearest second of arc), house cusps (to the nearest second of arc), planet to planet aspects with orbs, planet to house cusps aspects with orbs (within one chart or between charts), midpoint trees (within one chart or between charts), one chart's planets in the other chart's houses, and also for single charts: antiscia points, contrantiscia points, conjunctions to antiscia and contrantiscia, and a large variety of formula (e.g. A + B - C).

Janus has a well-earned reputation for its outstanding Medieval and Ancient Greek astrological functions in its Medieval, Horary, and Electional modules. All three of these now have Temperament analysis and an Aspect Perfection list. Additionally, the Medieval module has profections by date and directions by terms; and both the Horary and Electional modules have the choice of modern or traditional Void-of-Course Moon calculation, as well as Arabic Parts sorted by description, longitude or house. In addition, the Electional module allows you to drag & drop the Ascendant, MC, Sun or Moon to any zodiacal position, after which it immediately draws the chart for the moment when the point reaches that position; it also shows the Moon's Lunar Mansion in its Results table.

Other innovations include the ability to create an Octoscope (chart based upon an eight house method) and progressed Solar Returns, a facility to generate multiple ingress and return charts, the ability to move Graphic Ephemeride forward or backward in time, and the ability to add and edit additional aspects.

Janus 4.1 is a major update which enhances the power of the software considerably. The program now has many features not found anywhere else, and a truly great astromapping module. For both traditional and modern astrologers, Janus is an amazing value and a very worthwhile program.

A First Look at Janus 4.0

Janus 4.0 now uses the Swiss Ephemeris in all of its calculations, for greatly increased accuracy. Among the major enhancements are:

1. An incredibly powerful astromapping module. The new Astromapping module is the magnum opus -- most important enhancement -- to Janus. I am continually amazed that companies can add capabilities not found elsewhere, and the Astromapping feature of Janus 4 is both outstanding and innovative.

Janus 4 can create high resolution maps that show Astro*Carto*Graphy lines (including aspect and midpoint lines), Local Space planetary, aspect, and midpoint lines (Wow!), Great Circles, Geodetic Signatures and more. You can choose any or all of the planets plus (optionally) the four major asteroids and the comet Chiron, the trans-Neptunian points, the Moon's nodes, Part of Fortune, and many additional points. You can select maps for a large number of countries, U.S. states, and continents, as well as map of single or multiple Solar Eclipses on a single map, and use the "rectifiy chart" mapping tool to change the birth time forward or backward by any increment and watch map changes. You can zoom in on map locations with a single mouse click, and creating relocated charts for any place on map is effortless.

In addition to creating regular static maps from birth charts, the program maps progressed and directed charts, and can do Cyclo*Carto*Graphy and other dynamic mapping methods, at user-specified animation rates. In this feature, as well as many others, the program provides many options for the user to choose from.

Janus' astromapping can also create one of the most extensive relocation reports I've ever seen, including interpretations for ACG and Local Space lines, aspect lines, midpoint lines, relocated angles, ACG and Local Space fixed star lines , and parans and destiny crossings (optionally including planet-star and star-star parans). Reports can be copied to your word processor, and they label each influence with the all-important indication of the its relative strength.

Janus 4's astromapping is a wonderful and powerful addition to the capabilities of Janus.

2. Many Wheel and Dial Styles. Janus 4 offers uses over 100 choices of chart wheel and dial styles, including wheels with colorful zodiacal bands, dials for differing moduli, and wheels where aspect lines are emphasized. Astrologers will enjoy the new range of choices provided here.

3. More Powerful Dynamic Searches. Astrologers can now include in their transit and progressed searches Out of Bounds planets, planets at Zero Declination, many types of Parallels and ContraParallels. the Super Moon, a variety of ingresses, and much more. Janus 4 also can create a more graphical Time Line of predictive events, and show a biwheel of any event around a natal chart, or a single wheel if the user has selected transit to transit hits only, or a tri-wheel if calculating, for example, a transit hit to a progressed position..

4. Chart Searches. You can now search chart files for planets or midpoints in specific signs or houses, planets at specific midpoints, planetary aspects in any harmonic and with any orb, for planets at particular "lots" (e.g. the Sun at the point which equals the Moon plus Mars minus Saturn), for specific keywords in chart notes, and for up to 5 criteria at once, and save search criteria for future use.

5. Aspect Perfection Sequence in Horary, Electional and Medieval modules. For traditional astrologers who use Profections, this tool provides the dates that specific planetary aspects profect. Janus 4 has also added other traditional tools.

6. Midpoint Interpretations. Midpoints are now interpreted throughout Janus, in natal, transit, synastry, and relocation reports.

7. Table of Houses Generator. An astrologer recently asked me which programs generated tables of houses. After much research, my answer was "none". Now Janus 4 will create tables of houses for any of 18 different house systems, for any year, for any range of latitudes or for any specific latitude. This is a great resource.

Other additions to Janus 4 include the ability to move forward and backwards in time while viewing the Graphic Ephemeris, western Sidereal techniques, the ability to retain charts from one session to the next, and more.

Janus 4 shines brightly with its important enhancements, especially the great and powerful astromapping module. Janus now offers a complete suite of interpretive reports and a wide range of astrological techniques.

Robert Zoller

Latinist and Medieval scholar, Practitioner of Medieval Astrology

The Janus Astrology Software is the most user-friendly astrological software I have encountered. I consider the Medieval Astrology Module to be the most accurate, authentic and easy to use Medieval Astrology software available.

In the latest version, Janus version 3.0, the practitioner of Medieval Astrology will find expanded tools such as my interpretation of both Ptolemy's and Bonatti's methods for finding the Hyleg, the calculation for the Part of Marriage in both men's and women's charts (which for accurate delineation must be treated separately) as well as the calculation of the Almuten of Marriage in men's charts. Also, the calculation for the Firdaria has been extended to 120 years.

I whole-heartedly endorse this software.

John Frawley

Horary astrologer - Author of 'The Real Astrology', pub. 2000, and 'The Real Astrology Applied' by Apprentice Books. Editor and publisher of acclaimed 'The Astrologer's Apprentice' magazine. Winner of the 2001 Spica Award: International Book of the Year for 'The Real Astrology'.

It hardly seems possible that the Janus software could be improved upon, but as Janus 3 prepares for its launch, its makers seem to have done just that. It is no small achievement to have found something to tinker with in this excellent program.

Yes, Janus does everything that you could possibly want - and just about everything that has never even occurred to you. But all the leading software packages boast an array of features that makes the head spin just to look through it, and most of which will rest untouched by almost all users. So why pick Janus, and why bother improving it?

The first consideration must be the price. Janus not only undercuts programs which offer a mere fraction of its variety, but is significantly cheaper than its obvious rivals at the top end of the market.

But where it really scores is in its ease of use and aesthetics. How easy to use is it? This astrologer, who had lived always in the cyber-kindergarden that is Apple, had never used a PC when he was first introduced to Janus. Despite this, he could immediately find his away around without any recourse to either the Help or human assistance. It just doesn't come any easier. This is not so much 'user-friendly' as 'user-madly in love'!

And as for the aesthetics: where do you prefer to work - a tastefully arranged room that makes you feel at home, or a concrete bunker? The concrete bunker may contain all that you need, but if you can have all that you need in warmth and comfort, why settle for the bunker? Janus is just a nice program to use, and if you are going to work with it on a regular basis, this is of the utmost importance.

The additions in Janus 3 have managed to gild the lily, adding even more features and making the package - which hardly seemed possible - even easier to handle. I recommend Janus to my students on the Apprenticeships in Traditional Astrology, and am happy to do the same to anyone else - whether their interest lies in classical horary or asteroid returns! This is la creme de la crème.

Udo Rudolph

President of the Astrological Association Hamburg School, Germany

It is easy to handle, very comprehensive and multifaceted. It is the finest and best value for money programme that I know.

Marjorie Orr

International astrologer with twenty years experience.

An elegant, well designed, beautifully coloured graphic wheel makes Janus a real pleasure to use. Simple to navigate and install (I managed it myself!) it has every feature the working astrologer needs - and a few more besides. The eclipse paths in Version 3 are a dream - back to 1900 and forward to 2099, detailed and loading instantly. The astro-locality maps look good, work fast and are a great blessing. Midpoints and composite charts are right there. The seemingly infinite ephemeris generator I found a huge help in writing a book on the past 2000 years. Janus manages to be a very comprehensive calculation and data generating system that is also a delight to have on screen. No small achievement. Congratulations.

Doris Greaves

Founder of the Federation of Australian Astrologers - 1970.

I have used many astrology software packages over the last 25 years and the Cosmobiology section in Janus 3 is by far the best I've seen. With its Ebertin style Cosmogram, unique and innovative Dynamic Quad Dial and excellent Graphic Ephemeris, it is the benchmark program for the serious cosmobiologist.

With Janus 3, the makers have taken astrological computing to a new level of excellence. The Cosmobiology section has been expanded and enhanced. There is the ability to drag and drop transits and Solar Arcs, place midpoints on the dials and to watch the planets move around the wheel with the new animation functions. This makes prediction of events easier and can assist with birth time rectification.

Other features I like in it are the ability to have multiple windows open simultaneously. This is very useful for looking at more than one thing at a time. For instance, you may wish to place a traditional wheel alongside an Astro Locality map and a graph or midpoint list. The possibilities are limitless.

I am also partial to the report writer in Janus 3. The professional astrologer has the ability to modify the texts to suit the particular needs of the client. This overcomes some of the weaknesses apparent in previous report writers where all clients were considered to be of the same age and gender.

Janus 3, like the original version, is simple to use whatever system of astrology you practice, be it modern or traditional. It will enhance skills in astrology. Janus is my first choice in astrology software and I highly recommend it.

Carol Squires

PMAFA, DTASNZ Principal, Astrology Correspondence School of New Zealand.

Janus is the astrologer's dream come true.

The professional astrologer will love its versatility. The student astrologer its remarkable simplicity. Whether you are a traditionalist, a cosmobiologist, a medievalist, a siderealist or any number of other "ists" this is the program for you.

It leads the field and I heartily recommend it as the best astrology software available.

I love it.

Sean Lovatt

Remarkably, the excellence of Janus version 2 has been eclipsed by the outstanding new version, Janus 3.0. Coupled with a flexible, intuitive interface and with a superior range of features Janus has emerged as the best PC astrology software available.

It beats all comers hands down and is clearly in a class of its own.

Buy it, use it and enjoy it.

Dennis Elwell

Research Astrologer (England) Author of "The Cosmic Loom".

This very impressive program is worth exploring in depth, and there is plenty to explore, all of it friendly and accessible. Although an old hand myself, I learnt a few new things from the help facility, which effectively comprises a searchable textbook of astrological techniques.

Gillian Barnsley

Moderator, Regulus-Ebertin Study Group, Australia

Janus 3 is a major development with some key new features. The range of charting methods available and the contemporary readings offered in the report writer are excellent and these alone put Janus in a class of its own.

New Report Writer

The most significant of these far-reaching new features is the inclusion of a report writer with the option to do either quick or extensive reports for natal charts. In particular, the dynamic reports for solar arc directions, secondary progressions and transits to the radix chart are very detailed.

Of the several report writers I have seen I think this one is the best.

The interpretations are modern, having a clear grasp of the generational aspects of our time. What is exceptional about the reports is the capacity for the astrologer to edit them. They are easily imported into Microsoft Word and have full colour formatting.

Gone are the days when an astrologer had to tolerate the ludicrously of aspect reports on the active sex life of two year olds! With Janus the astrologer is in control. It allows you to tactfully modify the report for the client. This is equally so for the synastry reports, where space is provided for the astrologer to add his/her own interpretations.

This availability of choice is extended to the planets as well. This means that if a client presents you with a specific question, for example on health or marriage prospects, then you can focus on specific planets such as Mars and Uranus, Mars and Neptune, Mars and Saturn and the Sun and Jupiter without having to print the lot.

The features and interactivity of the report writer are a real first in the field.

Cosmobiology

For a cosmobiologist Janus has such a wide array of outstanding features that they are just too numerous to describe in detail.

One I have found most useful is the capacity to select midpoints for inclusion in both the cosmogram and in the 45-degree ephemeris.

Improved Chart Rectification

Another excellent feature of the cosmogram option is that it comes with a sliding scale at the top, so that the astrologer can focus on any year of a person's life and update the chart by clicking.

This is a fantastic aid for the rectification of charts where birth times are not known. In most other programs the astrologer is forced to cast chart after chart for rectification, which is a tedium and is overly time consuming. Also, not to be under-estimated, this feature in Janus means that the work of rectification can be done in consultation with the client on the spot.

Paste and "Go"

A further feature is that any of the charts can be copied to the clipboard and pasted directly into a text or Word document, either as full page charts with lists of aspects and midpoints, or as simple charts. This is an invaluable asset for those writing books and articles. It effectively makes the photocopying of charts for inclusion in books and articles a thing of the past.

Seamless Importing of Charts

Another feature of Janus 3 is the ease of importing old charts from earlier versions of the programme. The instructions are simplicity itself. Even if you were unfortunate enough, as I was, to have downloaded your old files to floppy disk (when upgrading your computer), the old files of client data will transfer from a floppy into the new programme with ease. This saves hours of repetitive work.

User-Friendly

Some of the world's best astrologers have contributed toward the production of this software and coupled with an expertise in computer programming Janus is user-friendly par excellence. Indeed, the programming behind Janus is almost invisible and makes many options available by a left or right click of the mouse.

Janus 3 is a groundbreaking programme for the New Millennium and I recommend it without reservation.

Sue Ward

Principal, The Traditional Horary Course, England.

Installation and Customising the Program

Installation is simple and the manual easy to follow. It guides you through any preliminary changes you might wish to make.

The next step is to import any existing data files from earlier versions of Janus, although you can also import files from other astrological programs too. It's necessary to convert your old files. I wasn't looking forward to doing this because I have so many categories of charts each requiring its own file. But it didn't take long.

Traditional Horary and Medieval Modules

I am most interested in these modules and so spent considerable time on them.

The user-defined options have been greatly enhanced, now allowing flexibility with planetary scoring, which I really appreciate. The horary screen has been improved and now offers the same 'notes' facility that is offered with the main opening screen. Before having to close the horary screen to get to the chart notes was an irritation, now happily a thing of the past. This Horary Module is the best I've seen. Good and clear.

True or Apparent Sunrise Time - you choose

There is a choice between apparent and true sunrise for the calculation of the planetary hour. I originally plumbed for 'apparent' but am glad of the choice. I may well change back to 'true'. This is very useful when trying to calculate old charts where the problem of no mean time arises. In those days sunrise and sunset would have been calculated largely from observation.

Elections Module

This is a brand new module for erecting electional charts. A fabulous tool for calculating the several charts from which to choose the most auspicious time for beginning something.

Autoclock and Chart Animation Feature

The Electional and Horary modules both have an 'Autoclock'. This recalculates the chart using the clock on your computer. It has been improved with a 'nudge' facility. Using this, at the click of a mouse you can change the time and date increments with ease.

Also, it has a graph (more like a bar chart) whereby you can view all of the planets, relating to a chart and see how they are dignified. As it is graphical you can see very quickly how each planet compares degree by degree with special emphasis given to those periods when a planet is peregrine. A real time saver.

Fixed Stars - exceptionally detailed information and lists

I am particularly impressed by the amount of information that Janus supplies on Fixed Stars. It gives the apparent magnitude to decimal points, the constellation it belongs to, spectral class, NGC number, Right Ascension and Declination according to the chart date, star rise, setting and culminations, their Ptolemaic natures (this is excellent), various sorting options and of course, interpretation.

Planetary Cycles List - a must for Decumbiture

The Planetary Cycles list is very useful. It allows you to find all the planetary returns you could ever want. This is very helpful for decumbiture charts where crisis days are investigated. These are obtained from the transiting Moon's aspects to itself in the original chart for the illness, usually a longwinded process, but here made much easier.

Planet's Position List - precise and detailed

These comprehensive Planets Positions Lists are valuable. Apart from anything else they give very precise positions. Improved on the earlier version so that now you can have all this information (declination, latitude, azimuth, etc.) listed and printed. This is much better than having to keep switching between screens.

Natal Reports - gives a choice of Reports, which you can edit

Although it's not a facility I use, it is worth mentioning that the Natal Report writer is very good. There are several choices. I chose a report by planets ruling houses. It delineated the Ascendant by its sign, and then delineated the ruler of the rising sign, then the ruler's house and sign placement, then aspects to it and the Ascendant.

While I am no expert but this Report Writer function is much better than those I've seen in the past. Particularly so because it allows the report to be entirely editable on screen and then printed.

Sky Map - a brilliant new feature

Now here's a real gem. This is a fully featured graphical representation of the heavens. It has user definable options for including or excluding constellations, planets, great circles and so on. Also, it has a facility to choose a viewpoint and to allow it to replicate your own particular sky at night.

Colour changes imitate day, night and twilight. You can even, by selecting 'Moonlight' watch the changes to the background colour according to the Moon's phase and elevation. Under 'Star Info' you'll find all the astronomical information you require.

The Autoclock again allows the program to run in real time and you can watch the positions change, including the Ascendant and Midheaven. Or you can run the 'Animation' option, opt to track a particular planet and watch while it puts the whole thing into motion - fascinating.

Versatile Export Facility

Charts can now be used in your favourite word processor very simply. This is so very helpful when writing articles, presentations or client reports.

Covers most techniques of the Major Schools of Astrology

This latest version of Janus is a big program that covers most users' needs. Most of the techniques of the major astrology schools are accommodated - this is no mean feat. The Help facility is a real plus here because it allows you to learn about other techniques you may not be sure of. The Help files are good and clear, comprehensive and there when you want them.

I've found this to be a high quality, fully featured program, which is easy and pleasant to use.

Very highly recommended.

Brandi Jasmine

A while ago I was approached by Janus Software with an offer to review their Janus 3.0 program. I have been going through a particularly challenging set of transits, and kept putting it off. I had a minor problem installing it because I work on a computer with no floppy drive, but the good folks at Janus got me fixed up. Now that I have had some time to play with it, I like what I see. What I first noticed about the program is its non-traditional, un-Windows-like interface. The different features are laid out in easy to find button-icons. Those who are used to the Windows interfaces will still be able to navigate around & the file/edit navigation is also there for you. It's just nice to see something a little different for a change.

The help file contains a valuable and comprehensive glossary. Chartwheels are easy to read, easily customized in full color and many functions can be customized within the viewing window. It is very easy to switch between different modules for the same chart. So if you are studying a natal chart and want to switch between graphs, reports, Horary and AstroLocality charts, you just click a button.

Janus 3.0 is also packed with features that will appeal to more advanced students of astrology. The ASC Electronic Atlas is included. It is very comprehensive, with linked time zones. I have reviewed other programs that did not have my birth town & so that is one of my little tests. I was happy to find it there, along with several hundred Canadian towns I have never heard of. I particularly enjoy the ability to link notes with charts. Now I don't have to fiddle around looking for the note I wrote for this chart or that, its right in the program, linked to my chart. There are built-in Horary, Electional, Astro-Locality Maps, MidPoints, Eclipse Tracker, Arabic Parts, and an interesting oddity for an astrological program (ironically enough) an actual astronomical star map. There is a built-in rectification that is extremely easy to use.

The Synastry chart is pretty good, though my favorite methods for doing couple compatibility is the combined chart. I did find this feature in Janus 3.0 as well with a little digging. About the only thing I can think of that is missing would be an ability to more easily switch between charts in the current session, but that is a bit of a nitpick really.

The reports are comprehensive and well-written, despite the fact that there are some missing elements like Chiron and the Asteroids, but this is still common in most commercial astrological software at this point. I found the report better than many I have read, few punches pulled on the challenges, yet these are explained in a positive way. I particularly enjoy the transit reports. Most enlightening, and accurate for my current circumstances. I especially like that you can set up and write your own interpretations for different kinds of charts. Say you want to do children's charts, or gay couple charts or business charts & you just set up a new file with your own interpretations, and you are off and running.

Overall, Janus 3.0 is an excellent option, either as a first program for the beginning student of astrology, or for the more advanced student or professional. If you are considering purchasing a report-writing program for your professional business, and want to write your own unique reports, this is the program I'd recommend.